In this article
How this list is ordered
The questions run from what an intern may and may not do, to the rules about confidential information, to the basic concepts interviewers test when you have no law degree yet, to how you work with a team. A worked deadline count sits in the concepts group, because counting a date correctly is the sort of task a legal intern is trusted with first. Read the legal interviews guide for the core skills. If you are a law student applying to a firm or a court, use the law internship question list instead. Rules differ by state; answers cite sources read in October 2026.
The role and its limits
What does a legal intern do?
A legal intern supports lawyers by gathering facts, researching, organising documents and drafting under supervision. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists paralegal duties as investigating facts, researching laws and regulations, organising legal documents, drafting correspondence and contracts, obtaining affidavits, helping at trials, filing documents and scheduling meetings and depositions (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, modified 27 August 2026). An intern's tasks are usually a subset of these, so ask which apply.
Why it is asked: it checks that your picture of the work is realistic.
Can an intern give legal advice?
Not on your own authority. The code of ethics of The Paralegal Association (NALA) says a paralegal must not establish attorney-client relationships, set fees, give legal opinions or advice, or represent a client before a court unless authorised (NALA Code of Ethics, 2023 revision, Canon 1). A Texas paralegal-division article adds that substantive legal work is not unauthorised practice when done under the direction and supervision of an attorney (State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division, copyright 2020).
One exception is a court's student-practice rule: in Florida, Chapter 11 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar (Law School Practice Program) lets a certified legal intern represent clients under a supervising lawyer who takes professional responsibility for the work (The Florida Bar, Chapter 11, October 2026 edition, read 24 October 2026). Law students should see the law internship question list.
Why it is asked: it is the most important limit of the role.
Read the full explanation: legal interviews guide.
Who is responsible for your work?
The supervising lawyer is. NALA's Canon 3 says a paralegal may perform any task properly delegated and supervised by an attorney, as long as the attorney is ultimately responsible to the client, keeps the direct relationship with the client and takes professional responsibility for the work product (NALA Code of Ethics, 2023 revision). You are still responsible for doing the task carefully and for saying early when you are unsure.
Why it is asked: it shows that you understand supervision as a safeguard and not as a burden.
Do you need a law degree to be a legal intern?
Not for every role. The BLS says paralegals typically enter with an associate's degree or a certificate in paralegal studies, that some employers prefer a bachelor's degree, and that others accept a high school diploma plus experience (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, modified 27 August 2026). Lawyers, by contrast, need a professional degree. Read the posting, then explain what in your study or work fits it.
Why it is asked: it checks that you applied to a role that matches your training.
Where do legal interns and paralegals work?
Mostly in legal services, with the rest in government and business. The BLS reports that about 75% of paralegals work in legal services, 5% in local government, 4% in the federal government, 3% in state government and 3% in finance and insurance (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, modified 27 August 2026). A company legal department, such as one in finance or insurance, is therefore a smaller but real setting.
Why it is asked: it shows whether you chose this setting on purpose.
Knowing it is half the job. Saying it is the other half.
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Start Free Trial →Boundaries and ethics
What does confidentiality mean for an intern?
It means that you do not repeat anything you learn about a client or a matter outside the team that needs it. NALA's Canon 7 says a paralegal must protect the confidences of a client and must not violate any rule or statute controlling privileged communications between a client and an attorney (NALA Code of Ethics, 2023 revision). In practice, that includes friends, family, social media and unsecured messages.
Why it is asked: confidentiality is the first duty of every legal team.
What is attorney-client privilege, and who holds it?
Attorney-client privilege is the protection of confidential communications between a lawyer and a client that relate to the client's seeking legal advice or services. Cornell's Wex entry says the privilege belongs to the client, and lists cases where it does not apply, such as when a third party is present or when advice is sought to further a crime or fraud (Cornell Wex, last updated August 2023).
Why it is asked: it tests whether you know why a stray email can matter.
What is work product, and how does it differ from privilege?
Work product is material prepared in anticipation of litigation, while privilege protects confidential lawyer-client communications. The federal discovery rule covers documents and tangible things "prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial" (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(3)(A), amended 23 April 2025). A document can be one, the other or both, so an intern asks a supervisor before sharing a draft or a note.
Why it is asked: it separates candidates who know two protections from those who know one.
What would you do if you noticed a conflict of interest?
Tell your supervisor before you do more on the matter. A conflict of interest is a clash between an attorney's, another client's or a third party's interests and those of a current client (Cornell Wex, reviewed February 2023). NALA's Canon 8 asks a paralegal to disclose to an employer any pre-existing client or personal relationship that may conflict with the employer's or its clients' interests (NALA Code of Ethics, 2023 revision).
Why it is asked: conflicts are caught early only when junior staff speak up.
When should you tell someone that you are not a lawyer?
At the start of any professional contact. NALA's Canon 5 says a paralegal must disclose status as a paralegal at the outset of any professional relationship with a client, an attorney, a court or agency or a member of the public (NALA Code of Ethics, 2023 revision). An intern follows the same habit: introduce yourself with your role and the name of the supervising lawyer.
Why it is asked: it prevents a client from mistaking you for the lawyer.
Core legal concepts
What makes a contract enforceable?
A contract is an agreement between parties creating mutual obligations that the law enforces. Cornell's Wex entry lists the elements: mutual assent through an offer and an acceptance, consideration, capacity and legality, and notes that the statute of frauds requires certain contracts to be in writing (Cornell Wex, reviewed October 2025). Use a small example, such as a signed service agreement with a stated fee.
Why it is asked: contracts appear in almost every legal team's work.
What is a statute of limitations?
A statute of limitations is a law that bars claims after a certain period passes after an injury. Cornell's Wex entry says the length depends on the jurisdiction and the type of claim, and the period may run from the injury, from its discovery, or from when it would have been discovered with reasonable efforts (Cornell Wex, reviewed June 2024). One federal example is the default in 28 U.S.C. 1658(a): unless another law provides otherwise, a civil action under an Act of Congress enacted after 1 December 1990 must be commenced within four years after it accrues (arises) (28 U.S.C. 1658(a)).
Why it is asked: missing a limitation period can end a claim.
How do you count a deadline?
Exclude the day of the triggering event, count every calendar day, include the last day, and if the last day is a weekend or legal holiday, move to the next day that is not one. That is the method of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (FRCP) 6(a)(1) for periods stated in days or longer units (FRCP 6, as amended effective 1 December 2023). It applies where a rule, order or statute does not set its own method, so confirm the governing rule with a supervisor.
Text description of the diagram
- Exclude the day of the triggering event, count every calendar day and include the last day.
- If the last day is a weekend or legal holiday, move to the next day that is not one.
| Illustrative case | Trigger day | Day counted to | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days after an event | Friday 13 November 2026 | Sunday 13 December 2026 | Monday 14 December 2026 |
| Four years after a claim accrues (the 1658(a) default period) | Tuesday 27 May 2025 | Sunday 27 May 2029 | Tuesday 29 May 2029 |
In the second case, Monday 28 May 2029 is Memorial Day, a legal holiday, so the period runs to Tuesday. The dates are invented. The amendment effective 1 December 2023 added Juneteenth National Independence Day to the holiday list, so a holiday list from an older template can be wrong.
Why it is asked: it tests care with dates, a task that is handed to interns early.
Organisation and teamwork
How do you keep track of several deadlines?
Put every date in one shared calendar as soon as it is known, record both the triggering event and the computed last day, and have a second person check the count. Rule 6 counts calendar days, not working days, so a count made by habit is a common error. Say that you would raise any doubt with the supervising lawyer long before the date.
Why it is asked: legal work has fixed dates, and misses are costly.
Tell me about a mistake you made and what you did.
Name a real, small mistake, say how and when you told the person affected, what you fixed and what you now do differently. Saint Louis University's career office lists failure, mistakes and missed solutions among the situational prompts that interviewers ask for specific examples about (Saint Louis University Office of Career Services, page read 24 October 2026). The behavioral interviews guide shows how to structure the story.
Why it is asked: it tests honesty and whether you fix the cause.
Why do you want to work in legal aid, a nonprofit or a company legal team?
Give a reason tied to the setting. For legal aid, the Legal Services Corporation's 2022 Justice Gap Study found that low-income households had a civil legal problem in the past year in 74% of cases, and that 92% of their substantial civil legal problems received no or not enough legal help (Legal Services Corporation, 2022 study, 2021 survey data). For a company, name the kind of agreements or compliance work you would learn.
Why it is asked: it shows whether you chose this setting with open eyes.
Follow-up questions
What interview questions are asked for a legal assistant job?
The same groups on this page: role limits, confidentiality, contracts and deadlines, and teamwork. The BLS treats paralegals and legal assistants as one occupation, so its duty list under the first question applies to both (BLS, modified 27 August 2026). Prepare an introduction with the tell me about yourself page and questions of your own from questions to ask the interviewer.
Do I need legal experience for a legal internship?
Often not. The BLS says some employers accept a high school diploma plus experience for paralegal work, and others want a degree (BLS, modified 27 August 2026). Interviewers then look for accuracy, organisation and respect for the limits of the role, so show those with a specific example.
What is the difference between a legal intern and a paralegal?
A paralegal is, in NALA's wording, a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, government agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible (NALA Code of Ethics, 2023 revision). An intern's duties are set by the office, so ask.
Is a law internship interviewed differently?
Yes. A law student applying to a firm or court is tested on research, a writing sample and chambers rules; see the law internship question list.
- An intern works under a supervising lawyer and gives no legal advice unless a court's student-practice rule authorises it.
- Protect confidences, and tell your supervisor about any conflict at once.
- Know the elements of a contract and what a limitation period does.
- Count a deadline by skipping the trigger day, counting every day and rolling past weekends and holidays.
- Give a real example of a mistake and what you changed.
Sources
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Occupational Outlook Handbook — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27 Aug 2026
- NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility — NALA - The Paralegal Association, 25 Feb 2023
- The Unauthorized Practice of Law in Texas (Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, page copyright 2020) — Paralegal Division, State Bar of Texas, 1 Jan 2020
- Attorney-client privilege (Wex legal dictionary) — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 1 Aug 2023
- Contract (Wex legal dictionary) — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 1 Oct 2025
- Statute of limitations (Wex legal dictionary) — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 1 Jun 2024
- Conflict of interest (Wex legal dictionary) — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 1 Feb 2023
- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6: Computing and Extending Time — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 1 Dec 2023
- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26: Duty to Disclose; General Provisions Governing Discovery — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 1 Dec 2025
- Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Chapter 11: Rules Governing the Law School Practice Program — The Florida Bar, 1 Oct 2026
- 28 U.S. Code 1658: Time limitations on the commencement of civil actions arising under Acts of Congress — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 30 Jul 2002
- 2022 Justice Gap Study: executive summary — Legal Services Corporation, 20 Apr 2022
- Interviewing (career services guidance) — Saint Louis University School of Law, Office of Career Services, 24 Oct 2026
